Non Disabled Crossbow Hunting Oregon?

[Will_White]

Is it legal to use a crossbow during rifle season in Oregon? The Regs don't mention crossbows that I can find in my admittedly cursory research.

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[156256Hunter]

Do you mean is it legal to use a crossbow during rifle season, for an animal you have a rifle tag for? Or do you mean, is it legal to carry a crossbow around in an area when a big game rifle season is going on?

The ODFW regs say "Only recurve, long, or compound bows are legal for hunting game mammals," and further state, "It is unlawful to hunt game mammals with:
• Bows having a draw weight of less than 40 pounds (except no minimum draw weight for western gray squirrel).
• Any device secured to or supported by the bow that maintains the bow at full draw."

 

[Will_White]

Do you mean is it legal to use a crossbow during rifle season, for an animal you have a rifle tag for? Or do you mean, is it legal to carry a crossbow around in an area when a big game rifle season is going on?

The ODFW regs say "Only recurve, long, or compound bows are legal for hunting game mammals," and further state, "It is unlawful to hunt game mammals with:
• Bows having a draw weight of less than 40 pounds (except no minimum draw weight for western gray squirrel).
• Any device secured to or supported by the bow that maintains the bow at full draw."

I mean using it during rifle season to take an animal I have a rifle tag for.

 

[mrblond]

I am not 100% sure, but I thought I remember, least of a few years ago, that crossbows were illegal to hunt with in Oregon.

Feel free to correct me of i am mistaken

 

[Twodogs]

You can't hunt any game animal in Oregon with a crossbow, only vermin.
I would like to see them put in with muzzle loaders.

 

[TTSX]

Go to Bass pro in Oregon and tell me how many crossbows they have for sale, then go to one in Texas and tell me the results. There's a reason you'll see what you see

 

[156256Hunter]

I mean using it during rifle season to take an animal I have a rifle tag for.

That's a good question. I think a long time ago the ODFW regs used to say something similar, in that that if you had a rifle tag but wanted to hunt with a handgun, you could go to an ODFW office and have them stamp the tag "handgun only".

 

[cowboykid8]

This is a rule they are working on changing. Doesn't sound like it has been changed to allow crossbow usage during the "any legal weapon" hunts in 2021.

Big game hunting season review | Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

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myodfw.com

Keep in mind, a couple years ago it wasn't 100% legal to hunt with a bow during rifle season if you had a rifle tag.